10 Struggles of Being an American in Europe

1.) Water isn’t free.
Sometimes we forget this and wonder why our bill is larger than expected. Then we remember that America is probably the only place that serves water for free.

2.) Paying to go to the bathroom.
I was quite amused when I had to dig for change to use the facilities at the train station in Munich. It was called Rail ‘n Wash, and in the pristine facility there was a man frantically cleaning up after everyone. Maybe that’s what makes it cost a euro.

3.) Light switches and doorbells look the same.
I learned this the hard way when I rang the doorbell late at night in an effort to turn on the light.

4.) Lights are often outside the room.
In the beginning I found myself wandering in the dark for a while.

5.) Everyone is obsessed with bread.
While this isn’t really much of a struggle, we Americans definitely aren’t used to eating as much bread as Europeans do. Life revolves around bread. It is a priority to buy bread to have with every meal. A basket is always floating around the dinner table, along with the words “do you want more bread?”

Photo credit: Annelise Wilp

6.) Trying to covert from the metric system.
When someone tells me something is fifty kilometers away, I nod and calculate an estimate.

7.) Military time.
My train leaves at 18:00. Subtract two – that’s 16. So 6:00. I always do the math several times to make sure I have it right.

8.) Accidentally buying flavored water.
That feeling of defeat when I get on my bus with what looked like still water and tastes like banana flavor.

Photo credit: Annelise Wilp

8.) Stores are closed on Sundays.
Out of shampoo? Need more milk? Looks like you’re waiting until Monday. I think this is for the best, though.

9.) Flagging down your waiter.
Waiters in Europe don’t have to work for tips, so they don’t necessarily “take care of you”. They take your order, give you your food, and won’t give you the bill until you ask.